Olympia Charter for Compassion

The Olympia community has experienced recent acts of physical and verbal violence

against persons of color, gay, lesbian and transgender persons, and those of different religious traditions. These acts erode the spirit and purpose of true community.

We seek to reach out to all members of our community, including those who are most vulnerable, to make sure that needs are met, shelter is provided and access to services is guaranteed.

As representatives and members of faith communities, we are rooted in spiritual traditions and teachings about how we are to be in this world, and we bring our spiritual values to bear on these and other civic issues, and we urge others to do the same.

To that end, we, the faith communities of Olympia, submit our statement of shared values that we hope the larger community will adopt as a standard of behavior and as a tool for dialogue as we seek to live together in a way that nurtures the well-being of all people.

As a community, we recognize the inherent worth and dignity of all persons. In doing so, we strive to practice respect and compassion towards one another, engage in civil dialogue, honor each individual as we ourselves would like to be honored.

As a community, we recognize our interdependence. In doing so, we strive to work collaboratively, bringing all voices to the table to solve community issues for the benefit of everyone.

As a community, we believe we must create a society where all people are able to live into their best selves. In doing so, we use our best efforts to work together for the common good. This means that public officials and citizens speak out with one voice against bigotry, racism, and religious prejudice.

As a community, we strive to live our shared values as we work to build a community that welcomes and respects the unique gifts brought by all those who make up our diverse Olympia community.

Communities of Faith

WildWood Gathering

Olympia Unitarian Universalists

First Christian Church

Center for Interfaith Celebration

SaveSave

Panel 3

Response to the Death of Vaneesa Hopson

We, Concerned Clergy of Olympia, express our sadness at the death of Vaneesa Hopson on February 7, 2018, who died after being chemically restrained. We send our condolences to Vaneesa’s family and friends and offer our prayers of healing for our community.

“As a community, we recognize the inherent worth and dignity of all persons”, while facts continue to surface, this incident reminds us of our need to treat all of our neighbors with love, respect and compassion, an ideal put forth in our Charter for Compassion, which was presented to our community and adopted by our City Council in 2017. We hope, too, that a deeper awareness of our communal needs and responsibilities comes in the wake of this tragic loss. Together we must work to “create a society where all people are able to live into their best selves.” We invite you to join us in this collective work, a commitment expressed through signing on to the Olympia Charter of Compassion.

Concerned Clergy of Olympia

Concerned Clergy of Olympia is a coalition of religious leaders collaborating on social and civic issues impacting the greater Olympia community. Rooted in the shared understanding of our inter-connectedness, we gather in solidarity across religious traditions to uphold the values of our faiths in the public square.